GuidesComparisonsRTX 4090 Vs RX 6900 XT: Worth Upgrading?

RTX 4090 Vs RX 6900 XT: Worth Upgrading?

In this piece, we will compare the NVIDIA RTX 4090 vs AMD RX 6900 to help you decide which option would suit your gaming needs the best.

Expert Verified By

 

Radeon RX 6900 XT

Rated: 8/10

GeForce RTX 4090

Rated: 9/10


Pros And Cons

GPUProsCons
Radeon RX 6900 XT✅Adequate for 4k gaming
✅Relatively low power consumption
✅Relatively low price
❌Lower performance than the RTX 4090
GeForce RTX 4090✅Best performance in a consumer graphics card
✅Relatively power efficient
❌Very high price

Key Takeaways
  • In our gaming tests, we found that the RTX 4090 had around twice the framerate of the RX 6900 XT on average.
  • The RTX 4090 only took around 30% more power than its AMD counterpart, which makes it very power efficient.
  • The price tag of the RTX 4090 hovers around being twice as expensive as the RX 6900 XT.

Comparison Table

SpecificationsNVIDIA RTX 4090AMD RX 6900 XT
Launch DateSeptember 2022December 2020
ArchitectureAda LovelaceNavi 21
GPU Cores163845120
Compute Units12880
Ray Accelerators12880
VRAM2416
Bus Width384-bit256-bit
Memory Bandwidth1018 GB/s512 GB/s
Memory TypeGDDR6xGDDR6
ROPs176128
TMUs512320
Best VariantsBest RTX 4090 Graphics CardsBest RX 6900 XT Graphics Cards

Architectural Differences

  1. Process Node: The new RTX 4090 uses the latest and greatest 4nm processing nodes, whereas the RX 6800 XT, being an older card, only uses 7nm processing nodes.
  2. TDP: The TDP of the RTX 4090 is around 450 watts, which is a number that makes the sizeable 300-watt TDP of the 6900 XT look like child’s play.
  3. VRAM: The RTX 4090 comes equipped with the most VRAM available on a consumer graphics card, i.e., 24GB. Once again, this spec of the RTX 4090 makes the 16GB VRAM buffer of the RX 6900 XT look tiny.
  4. Clock SpeedsThe 4090 does not slack on the clock speeds either, boasting a generous 2230MHz game clock, with a boost clock of all the way up to 2520MHz, whereas the RX 6900 XT has a game clock of around 2015MHz, which goes to an almost impressive 2250MHz at boost.

The new RTX 4090 from Nvidia blows all the competition out of the water, giving us the best gaming performance ever on a consumer card, but at what point does all this power become unnecessary? The RTX 4090 vs RX 6900 XT comparison will detail the gaming performance of both cards to help answer this question.

Gaming Benchmarks

Now that we know the insides of the RTX 4090 vs RX 6900 XT, this part of the comparison will list the performance of these cards in games. To test the feats of these cards, we put together a test bench that only leaves the GPU as the potential bottleneck, and the specs of this test bench are written below:

Testing Rig

PUBG

PUBG
PUBG @4k (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The average framerate of RX 6900 XT in PUBG was 101 FPS, whereas our RTX 4090 had an average framerate of around 198 FPS, which was around 96% faster than its AMD counterpart.
  • As for 1% lows, the RX 6900 XT had lows of around 54 FPS, while the RTX kept its head above water with a minimum framerate closer to 81 FPS.

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 @4k (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The RTX 4090 had a 68% advantage while playing Forza Horizon 5, with an average framerate of around 168 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT had an average of close to 100 FPS.
  • The 1% lows barely touched 60 FPS on the Radeon card, whereas the RTX 4090 had lows of around 79 FPS, making the gameplay feel much more smooth.

Spider-Man Remastered

Spider Man Remastered
Spider Man Remastered @4k (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man saw a huge difference between the two cards. Nvidia’s effort pushed 114 FPS, which was 133% faster than the 49 FPS average that the RX 6900 XT could manage.
  • The 1% lows fell all the way down to 38 FPS on the RX 6900 XT, whereas the RTX 4090 had lows of around 81 FPS.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 @4k (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • We saw a 77% performance increase in Cyberpunk 2077 with the Nvidia card, with an average framerate of around 79 FPS, while the RX 6900 XT averaged a framerate of around 43 FPS.
  • The 1% lows fell down to 31 FPS on the Radeon card, whereas the Nvidia GPU managed minimums of around 59 FPS.

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V @4k (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Running GTA V with every single dial turned all the way up had the RX 6900 XT, giving an average framerate of 56 FPS, while the RTX 4090 had an average of around 100 FPS. This came out to around a 79% advantage for the RTX 4090.
  • 1% lows came closer between the two cards, with the Radeon going all the way down to 41 FPS, while the RTX 4090 had lows of around 57 FPS.

Overall Gaming Performance

Average FPS
Average FPS @4k (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The average framerate of the RX 6900 XT was around 70 FPS in our gaming tests, whereas the RTX 4090 was leagues ahead with a performance of 132 FPS. The performance of the RTX 4090 had no hitches, whereas the RX 6900 XT could not handle playing some games at 4k.

The 1% lows were around 45 FPS on the RX 6900 XT, whereas the RTX 4090 was much smoother, with lows closer to 71 FPS. The RX 6900 XT felt very stuttery in some games, whereas the RTX 4090 was more or less smooth sailing.

Power Consumption

Average Power Consumption
Average Power Consumption @4k (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The average power consumption was around 264 watts for the RX 6900 XT, whereas the RTX 4090 was much more power-hungry, with a wattage of around 342 watts in our testing. Its much higher performance more or less justifies the higher power consumption of the RTX card, but you more than likely need a new power supply with this card.

Price And Availability

ProcessorMSRPCurrent Price
RTX 4090💲1599💲1600
RX 6900 XT💲999💲750
Difference60%113%

The cheapest you can find, the RX 6900 XT, is around $750 on Amazon, whereas the RTX 4090 can be had straight from Asus for $1600. The doubling of price going from the 6900 XT to the RTX 4090 is more or less justified by its much higher performance.

What We Recommend

The data is in on both of our cards, and this part of the RTX 4090 vs RX 6900 XT comparison will detail the pros and cons of either card.

RTX 4090: This graphics card gives you all the bells and whistles you could want in a modern graphics card, including amazing performance, a large VRAM buffer, and ample AI and ray tracing-related features. All of this is not cheap, which makes the RTX 4090 a card that most people will not be able to buy.

RX 6900 XT: AMD’s high-end offering offers a luxury experience without breaking the bank. For most people, the performance of the RX 6900 XT will suffice for just about anything, but it cannot match the performance and features of its more expensive rival.

All in all, the RTX 4090 is for people who do not want to leave an ounce of performance on the table, whereas the RX 6900 XT is suited for people who want to get by on 4k high-end gaming.


More From RTX 4090

More From RX 6900 XT

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Related articles

Is Your Old PSU Still Safe For A 2024 PC Build?

Whether your old PSU is still safe for a modern PC build depends on how old the power supply is and what you're upgrading to.

Is 21:9 Ultrawide The Perfect Monitor Aspect Ratio?

Whether the 21:9 is the perfect ultrawide monitor aspect ratio for you depends on your personal use case scenario, requirements and budget.

Ryzen 7 9800X3D Vs Ryzen 7 5800X3D: We Tested Both

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D Vs Ryzen 7 5800X3D comparison will compare the latest and greatest 3D V-cache processor against the first!

Red Switches Are Amazing But I Don’t Recommend Them For Fast Typists

Red switches are amazing, but I don't recommend them for fast typists with heavy hands due to their lower actuation force and creamier noise.

I Cleaned My PC After Six Months — Here’s The Thermal Difference

PC dust control shouldn't be taken lightly if you live in a dusty area. I cleaned my PC after six months and my temp drops were phenomenal.

Similar Guides